A Merry Heart

By Wanda E. Brunstetter

Miriam Stolzfus was once filled with wonderful dreams for a future with a man she’d loved since childhood-unitl he moved away and married someone else, leaving her heart a bitter shell. Now, Miriam is known in her community as the “old maid” schoolteacher with a “heart of stone.”

Amos Hilty wants to court Miriam, but she’s certain that he only wants a mother for his daughter and a wife for conventience. Her heart warms to a more interesting friendsiop in the form of Nick McCormick, a newspaper reporter outside her Amish Faith, who is easy to talk to – and, incredibly, makes her smile again.

Will Miriam ever let go of her bitter spirtit and surrender her will to God? Or will she leave the Amish faith and find what she longs for in the outside world.

As I started out the book I found it very heart to get into. It was slow reading from the start but about 1/4 of the way through the book picks up and then became very hard to put down.

Mariam is a very bitter unhappy person and does not ever want to marry or fall in love again. She sees Amos around but is always trying to avoid him and his daughter. She is very bitter toward him through most of th book and you are sure she is never going to warm up to him.

Nick on the other hand she runs into and seems to have an instant connection. She seems to think about Nick and really seems to enjoy his company. She calls on Nick when ever she needs someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. Nick pursues Mariam and is very interested in her.

Will Nick and Mariam End up together or will she give into to Amos and marry him because she feels it is the only thing to do. You will not know until the last minute.